Via iLab, Liberian Journalist Presents at New York Film Festival on Global Human Rights

Tetee Gebro is a Liberian Journalist reporting for New Narratives and working with SkyFm, a local radio station here in Monrovia.

 

Recently, Tetee reported on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on her radio show. This report brought about a huge outcry in Liberia among both the traditional people and human rights activists with diverse opinions on the topic.

 

Because of her coverage, Tetee was asked to appear on a panel at New York Film Festival on Global Human Rights. This was a glorious opportunity for Tetee and Liberia’s entire journalism community.

 

In order to participate in the panel, Tetee was to appear virtually via Internet, but because of Liberia’s lacking telecommunication infrastructure and slow Internet connection, it appeared almost impossible for this opportunity to become a reality.

 

As Tetee’s organizers tried to find a place with reliable internet service and an evironment that could afford her to appear by video over Skype, iLab Liberia was the only public resource center in Liberia that could provide Tetee with the resources to participate in the panel discussion.

We were immediately contacted and as usual, we invited Tetee and her local organizers to a meeting to understand the nature of the event and to ensure that all Tetee could required to make this event possible could be available..

 

 

iLab prepared a computer running Skype and a projector with and adequate bandwidth just sufficient to ensure uninterrupted video and voice transmissions. With the help of iLab, Tetee was able to successfully attend and presented at the Firm Festival. See more about Tetee’s presentation at the Film Festival here.

 

iLab is the only technology hub in Liberia that offers free technological opportunities that could not otherwise be found in this country. With the lab’s popularity spreading, we are moving to a larger space this month so we can better accommodate users’ needs and interests. We are always looking for potential funders who would like to see Tetee and other Liberians given the resources that iLab has to offer; contact us if you would like to contribute to iLab’s future and that of Liberia!

 

Thanks

 

Carter

Mobile Money in Liberia

Mobile Money is a term that refers to mobile financial services, mobile payment, mobile banking, mobile money transfer and mobile wallet – all of which generally refer to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device. The Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) operators in Liberia, particularly LonestarCell MTN http://www.lonestarcell.com/have begun offering this service, which is quite timely and has its advantages in a country where the economy is growing. At the same time, like the M-Kesh of Mozambique, the uptake of mobile money services in Liberia has been slow to start.One way to start branding and customizing these services in Liberia would be for the GSM operators or Liberia Telecommunications Authority http://lta.gov.lr/ to come up with a unique nomenclature for this service instead of Mobile Money which is the generic name that refers to the technology.

Recently in Nigeria, GlobaCom and UBA has signed an MOU with the Government to launch it’s Mobile Money service which though not yet functional but have named U-Mo .See http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/glo-uba-sign-mou-on-mobile-money-service/97220/

Election Day Oct. 11, 2011

 Ushahidi Liberia – Which provides free customized mapping technology and ongoing tech support to humanitarian and

iLab Staff on Elections Day

development actors tracking conflict, peacebuilding and the 2011 electoral processin Liberia, I served as an International Observer where I along with my co-worker John Etherton were able to visit many Voting Precincts within Monrovia.

Our observation covers not only voting places, but Communities, Streets, Market grounds asking questions relatively to everyone we came in contact with as to whether they have voted, how was the voting process if at all they voted, if not, why they haven’t voted and when are they planning to go voting, and how do they viewed the entire process.

Personally at a particular Precinct, I was able to help a blind man to the front of the queue and drawing the attention of the Polling Officer to help him out. I stayed at the Polling place until he completed his process. Other then this instance, all other Precincts

Peeping Snapshot of Ballot boxes at a Polling Place

observed that disable people and pregnant women were brought at the front of the queue.

The streets were very calm with absolutely no traffic jam, shops offices, business areas all closed with the exception of few security guards on duties at banks, and major installations.

Serving as Director of IT atUshahidi Liberia and iLab Liberia which is currently used as Data Center by the Ecc and other International Observers and organizations, I was able to get reports of critical incidents, election day general reports from all over the country where monitors and obervers,CSOs and other partners were messaging happenings in those areas through SMS using our SMSsync software and the FrontlineSMS as well as direct calls for the ECC data Center. Of all the reports reaching our hub, none was critical

iLab Liberia use as Data Center

to the process.

The process has not completed, but so far all seems well throughout the entire country. Ushahidi Liberia , iLab Liberia

During the course of the day, I had an interview with Dayo Olopade – a Nigerian-American journalist and a Bernard Schwartz Fellow at the New America Foundation. She is working on a book about technology, creativity and development in Africa. Her desire to feature ilab Liberia in her book and my interest to see iLab Liberia mission and objective being spread world-wide drove me into an interview with her which was awesome.

It is quarter to sixteen hours – the Election process is still in progress – still observing, still hoping it remains calm as it started!!